A Grey Rose
by Dagron
Summary: Shiho Miyano advanced with slow steps, considered and relaxed. Her umbrella sat upon her shoulder, protecting her hair from the rain that fell heavily, she kept her other hand in her pocket, trying to ignore the cold and damp wind nibbling at her exposed hand. But it wasn't her hand that she felt to be the iciest. Her heart was frozen.
1. Bus Stop

A Grey Rose.

* * *

 _Author's Note : This is a translation from French of my fic "Une Rose Grise."_

* * *

 **Bus stop.**

* * *

Shiho Miyano advanced with slow steps, considered and relaxed. Her umbrella sat upon her shoulder, protecting her hair from the rain that fell heavily, she kept her other hand in her pocket, trying to ignore the cold and damp wind nibbling at her exposed hand. But it wasn't her hand that she felt to be the iciest.

Her heart was frozen.

It felt as though she was walking in the dark, but what a strange feeling that was, knowing that the men in black no longer existed. Gin was dead, Vermouth behind bars, and Vodka was only awaiting his sentence... And the Boss, of course. That man so clever and extraordinary, he was now nothing more than another person subservient to the rule of law. She still found it hard to believe when she thought about it.

All that had happened since the death of her sister seemed surreal. The fact that the Organisation had betrayed her so... The fact that she had found the courage to face them, betray them in turn and try to evade their grasp by taking her own life... And then that miracle, that little miracle that was her survival, and that of Kudo... The fact that she was able to hide for so long, survive, no, live at his side, alongside such warm people as Professor Agasa, the Detective Boys, even Ran Mouri. During that short time, she had evaded, barely, on multiple occasions, their grasp, thanks to the help of that stubborn detective. That detective with a heart of gold, that wouldn't understand what was so awful about the organisation that she hadn't wanted to tell him more. That young fool, who thought he had an answer to everything, that he could solve any puzzle. That idiot who never fully understood her...

And that she had none the less loved.

She bit her lip at that that. It wasn't that she had loved him, it was that she loved him still, and that was why her heart had turned to ice at the announcement of his engagement to Mouri.

She lifted her gaze sharply, hearing the noise of a large vehicle, followed by the sound of water being sprayed by its wheels. She sighed when she saw that she had just missed her bus back. She quickly covered the remaining thirty meters between her and the stop and checked the bus times. Oh joy, she had to wait another three quarters of an hour for the next one. By the time she got back to Professor Agasa's, she had a high likelihood of catching pneumonia. The bus stop provided no shelter, and the few shops nearby were already closed for the night. Resigned to go home soaked to the bone, she leaned against a wall providing relative shelter from the wind, awaiting her bus.

She was surprised to feel a great hunger in her soul. Not that she didn't consider it normal, seeing how she didn't particularly appreciate waiting for forty-five minutes in the rain, yet she could feel that there was clearly a different underlying cause to this anger... What was she thinking about already, before she was distracted by the bus she'd just missed?

Ah, yes. Her life these past two years. The miracle that she was able to live them, and that she was able to find the elusive antidote to the shrinking effects of her drug... her poison... And then the transformation of Kudo, when everything went down, when he finally found how to put an end to the Organisation's activities. Never had she felt closer to the Detective of the East as during those moments, even if she couldn't stop thinking that at any second he was going to his death. She had been ready to sacrifice herself to save him, yet, as if by magic, each time she thought him lost for ever, he would pull a solution from his sleeve, an incredible turn that would twist the situation in his favour.

A magician...

Ha! She must be already catching a cold. Now she could see him in front of her, with his beloved, despite knowing full well that the two were at the other side of town. And as though to mock her thoughts, now the Kudo from her vision was showing them both a simplistic magic trick. He made a rose appear to elegantly offer it to the young woman who was kind enough to shelter him under her umbrella.

It was only when the young man in question hailed her that she realised that it wasn't truly a hallucination.

"Hey miss, has the bus been already?"

He had his voice. He had his face. He even had a cheeky smile that looked uncannily like his. But his hair was different, his clothes reflected a taste for much less sombre adornments, and, now that she looked closer, he wasn't accompanied by Mouri. The young woman was smaller, younger, and much more expressive.

"I told you Kaito, we've missed it, I just know it! All because of your darn habit."

It didn't take much for Shiho to imagine him a habit of stumbling across murder mysteries. But something told her that wasn't what was meant.

"It came by not two minutes ago. I do believe you've missed it, same as me."

"Ah shit. The next one is in 45 minutes, right?"

Shiho merely nodded yes to the young man before turning her gaze away. She wished that he would leave. She didn't want to be faced by this Kudo look alike much longer. Not when he heart was hurting so. Not when she was trying to draw a line...

"Here!"

"Hm?"  
She lifted her head to see that she was being offered a throat lozenge. The young man was holding it out as his companion gestured for her to accept it, to avoid catching a cold.

"You're soaked, and since we're going to be standing here a while yet, I might as well offer you one. I would hate to see a pretty lady like you fall ill because she missed the bus."

"I..."

The young man took her hand and smiled as he forced the sweet into her palm. His hands were warm. His smile was the warmest she'd ever seen.

Shiho felt herself blush. She took the boiled sweet and put it in her mouth with a conscious effort to mask her embarrassment, thanking them with a simple nod of the head.

"Proof that Kaito knows how to be nice sometimes!"

"Ach, come on Aoko, I'm always nice."

Shiho watched in silence the two squabble as they came to stand beside her. She may have tried her best to turn her gaze away and ignore them, she could not help but watch them out the corner of her eye.

In the time it took their bus to arrive and for the three to climb on, the rain never ceased, but Shiho had been able to form an opinion on the two people who got on behind her. She showed the driver her ticket before sitting down in a window seat and pretended not to keep track of the movements of the young man who followed her.

He was charming, that Kudo look-alike, and much less stuck-up than him too. He would argue with his friend, Aoko, as though they were both mischievous children, speaking of all and nothing... No embarrassed silence, no tension, nothing left unsaid, none of that. It was relaxing after two years spent in the shadow of a detective who, when he did get the chance to speak with his sweet heart, had the reflex of taking on the role of the moody adolescent who didn't know how to speak to girls. The young woman who accompanied this Kaito had such a candid freshness to her compared to Ran, the eternal worrier, that Shiho felt she envied them, this couple of strangers that she'd met by chance at a bus stop.

The encounter having improved her mood, Shiho relaxed and allowed herself to snooze. She still had a long journey before she got home to the Professor's, no need to tire herself out needlessly by keeping her eyes open. Her daydreams featured magic and romance, danger and illusions. She would wake up in intervals, observe the duo that continued to discuss all and nothing. On multiple occasions she caught the name Kid being mentioned. She smiled as she heard young Aoko's ferocious defence of the policemen in charge of capturing the thief. A young woman who wasn't enamoured with the thief? How novel.

Several stops later they got off. Shiho watched them leave with a sad twinge in her heart but kept smiling nonetheless. It was only when she saw her stop near that she noticed the young man had forgotten something on his seat. She picked it up, noticing a loyalty card stuck between two pages. The name "Kaito Kuroba" written on it confirmed that it was his. The notebook must have fallen from his pocket as he dodged one of his friend's swipes, before leaving the bus. She pocketed the item without too much thought, just the notion that she could return it to him soon, perhaps.

Normally she would have just left the notebook there. Normally she would have decided it wasn't her problem.

He'd really made an impression on her, that Kaito Kuroba.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	2. Visit

**Visit.**

* * *

"Ah Shiho! Welcome back!"

It was with those words that the professor greeted her arrival. She smiled.

"Need a hand with dinner professor?" She remarked as she heard the rumblings coming from his stomach. Agasa just nodded vigorously.

"I tried to organise all the ingredients, but I preferred to wait for you before chopping the onion. You took a while, though. Did you manage to find your sister's acquaintance?"

"Yes, thanks. Sachiko Tamagawa was a very interesting person to meet. She gave me a folder full of papers that Akemi had asked her to keep safe. Our chat was... enlightening."

"I'm glad to hear it." The professor went to the kitchen counter and put an onion on the chopping board with the knife. He paused a moment to observe Shiho more attentively, as she removed her coat. "Oh my, but you're soaking! Quick, go get yourself dry before you catch a cold."

Amused by her mentor's urgent solicitude, Shiho jogged to the bathroom to comply with a towel. She held back a sneeze before finally deciding to get changed. Might as well get dry properly. She took the opportunity to examine anew the notebook she'd just removed from her pocket.

A cheap notebook, bought in a convenience store. The paper was think and the pages numerous enough to hold quite a lot of content, but overall it was tiny enough to fit in most pockets without issue. There was no indication in it of the owner's name, apart from the loyalty card. Looking closer, she saw that it was a card for a Magic Shop. He must really be into his magic tricks then, this Kaito Kuroba? As for the notes in the notebook...

"Shiho! A hand please?" The sound of shattering glass interrupted her examination of the object. With a sigh and a tender smile, she answered Agasa's call.

"I'm coming, professor!"

* * *

As she heard the doorbell ring, Chikage Kuroba put her novel down on the table. She stood up, went up with a hurried step to the nearest mirror, and checked that she was presentable before going to open the door. The Night Baron novels always tended to make her flustered. Satisfied with her appearance; that of a mature woman, hair short and styled, she made haste to put an end to the unknown visitor's wait.

"Hello!"

She opened the door to discover a young woman behind it. She was pretty, with tea coloured hair and sharply angled eyes, and at first glanced appeared to be of the same age as Kaito, her son. Chikage immediately deduced that she had to be one of his classmates. He had just started a university course after all... It was nice to see him make new friends so quickly.

"Hello, Mrs Kuroba I presume? Sorry to disturb you, but your son dropped this..."

The young woman handed Chikage a notebook, with a loyalty card held on top. Having helped Kaito make purchases with it in the past, she recognised it immediately. No wonder he had spent the last three days searching his room and the rest of the house from top to bottom.

"I did think he seemed to have lost some thing!" She replied to the young girl. "And you're not disturbing me at all, miss...?"

Slightly ill at ease, the young woman introduced herself.

"Miyano. Shiho Miyano."

"Well then, miss Miyano, come in, please. My son isn't home yet, but he shouldn't be long I believe. I am certain he will be very grateful when you return this to him in person."

"Ah no, I..." The young woman began, but Chikage Kuroba interrupted her quickly by stopping her from forcing the notebook and card into her hands.

"I insist."

* * *

With a resigned sigh, Shiho entered the Kuroba family home. It was a rather small house, compared to Kudo's, but a house none the less. The inside was at first glance decorated with taste, and the varied electronic items that she could see seemed to show a taste for new technology that evaded some of her acquaintances. At the very moment when Mrs Kuroba let her in, the phone began to ring, thus catching the attention of the homeowner who pulled a contrite face before going to answer. Seeing that she was indicating what seemed to be the living room with her free hand, Shiho went in and sat on one of the sofas. She was sorely tempted to drop the notebook and loyalty card on the table and then leave promptly, but now that she was inside the house she was dying to see more. Darn Kudo, he really did give her a taste for mysteries.

She hadn't waited to come visit the house before seeking to satisfy her curiosity. Indeed, it was only with some research that she'd been able to find the address, nothing in the notebook or on the card telling her where their owner lived. Her first measure had been straight-forward. A most rudimentary internet search gave her the address of the shop that had issued the loyalty card and she found some articles on a magician whose son was called Kaito, as well as several other namesakes that were quickly ruled out. A call to the shop and a small lie later, she had managed to find the postcode linked to his account. A quick check of the directory later had done the rest. She had chosen to simply arrive unannounced after having run an errand for the professor, in the hopes that she would be able to simply deliver the items without any further obligation.

She should have just slipped the items through the mail slot in the door... Yet she had decided to ring the bell. Shiho had wanted to thank him for his kindness the other day. And now here she was inside his home, waiting as his mother spoke on the phone. She momentarily listened in to determine the nature of the phone call in question. Apparently, it was something to do with Mrs Kuroba's employment, an emergency?

A feeling of premonition had Shiho's stomach twisting itself in knots rather unpleasantly. She began counting to thirty in her head and, as she had predicted, Mrs Kuroba put the handset down and came to announce the bad news before she'd reached twenty-three.

"I am sorry, Shiho, but I need to go. You don't mind waiting for Kaito by yourself? Don't hesitate to help yourself to a glass of juice in the kitchen while you wait. With any luck, I won't be long. It's been a pleasure meeting you."

Shiho didn't even have the time to protest before Mrs Kuroba had donned her coat and grabbed her bag. The door was closed behind her with a loud slam. The young scientist sighed and went to pour herself a fruit juice. She didn't have anything else planned for the afternoon. Since she was being left alone in a house she'd turned up uninvited to, she might as well find out a little more about its occupants. She already knew that Mrs Kuroba was the sort to trust people easily. What about her only son?

Keeping an ear out for the slightest sound coming from the entrance, she moved from room to room the better to examine the home of the young musician that had caught her interest so. She was impressed by the modern and artistic tastefulness of the decor. Though the house was not big, it was clear that it was home to a nice collection of contemporary art, highlighted by the sober but modern selection of furniture. The layout of the rooms was also interesting. There was nothing automatic or sloppy, unlike many of the flats she had often visited in Kudo's company. The house must have been built by a talented architect.

Having sufficiently explored the ground floor, Shiho climbed the stairs to the first. She found Kaito Kuroba's room easily, his mother's being clearly occupied by a woman and the remaining rooms were a bathroom and a barely used guest room that doubled up as a well organised storage room.

Kaito's room, with its impressively large stereo system and other electronic gadgets, was surprisingly tidy. She would gladly assume that Mrs Kuroba would keep on top of the rest of the house, but she had expected at least to see a desk littered with the chaos of a young man's things.

It didn't take her long to realise that the tidiness of the room probably had more to do with the owner's father than mother. She couldn't help the surprised gasp as she saw the portrait, not far off true size, from head to toe, of a moustachioed magician in the limelight surrounded by confetti and doves. With this portrait of his dead father as roommate, it wasn't surprising that he kept his room so tidy. Touichi Kuroba was clearly someone who cared about first impressions, and now that she thought about it, his influence was clearly felt throughout the home.

She felt her heart twinge as she thought back to the newspaper clipping she hadn't been able to give up. Everyone carries their ghosts with them. In sympathy, she touched the wood of the frame. A portion of it was well smoothed, it must have served as support for many of his son's confessions. Shiho smiled. It was probably far less problematic than an answering machine.

But she knew full well that an image, a recording, even the satisfaction of a flowered grave would never fill the void left by a loved one.

The sound of keys turning in the lock forced her to turn away from the large photo. In the time it took the front door to open, she had already returned to the corridor. She glanced one last time over the contents of the room, not without feeling a shiver run down her spine. The image of Touichi seemed to be following her with his eyes. A voice, so like that of a teenage detective, yet so different in its tone, sang through the house.

"Mum, I'm home!"

Closing her eyes in the hope of giving herself some courage, she gently closed the door behind her before going down the stairs.

"Your mother is out. Work emergency."

The flabbergasted and surprised expression on the young man's face in front of her gave her a semblance of satisfaction. She felt the smile she had forced upon her face become earnest, as Kaito Kuroba's body language switched from defensive, ready to pull heaven-knows-what from his pockets, to relaxed in the space of a breath.

"It's you..." Clearly, he recognised her. "I never caught your name. Seeing how you're here and my mother left you on your own, I'm guessing you already know mine?"

"Mister Kuroba," with a smooth flourish she produced the notebook and card from the breast pocket of her jacket. "Shiho Miyano, nice to meet you."

She had no trouble recognising the expression in his gaze, as fleeting as it was. This young man had a secret, and, she was certain, she had her finger on it.

Luckily for him, she didn't have a reputation to maintain among the police force. Whatever his secret was, and she did have her own little idea about its nature, she had no wish to unveil it.

Everyone carries their ghosts with them, after all.

The notebook is returned, gently and with reverence. "Thanks again for your kindness the other day. You dropped this on the bus."

He takes the notebook, pulls out the loyalty card and, all while crying out loud "At last! I searched for this everywhere! Thanks." he makes the notebook vanish with a simple gesture. Shiho is not fooled, and the sheepish look on his face shows that he's noticed. "I really need to thank you properly. Let me get you a cup of tea, a biscuit, a hot chocolate, perhaps?"

By the damp on his shoulders, she could tell that the rain outside had clearly returned since she'd come in... but she had given herself as objective to simply return his items and leave promptly.  
"Ah no, I can't... I..."

"A coffee?" A crooked smile, so distinctive and alien and that face so similar to Kudo's; Shiho's heart skipped a beat, and she didn't know how to say no.

"Just the one."

One ended up becoming four.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	3. Smoothie

**Smoothie**

* * *

She had been right, after all, to worry about catching a cold. Her thoughts are all scattered, and she struggles to sit up, so it is out of the question for her to go and get herself a beverage. It's a shame. This cough is really making her thirsty, but the fever...

The fever stops her from thinking. The fever forces her to feel. All those emotions she had managed to keep buried with logic and mental distractions, now they are back in force. Her normal bearings when she finds herself overwhelmed with emotion like this? They are all drowned out by fatigue and pain. Her only respite is in the form of coughing fits, violent, crushing, that exhaust her to the point of drowsiness. She dreams.

After a few days like this, it becomes hard to tell the difference between reality and fiction, so broken is her sleep.

She sees her sister come to visit. Akemi congratulates her. Shiho is full of joy to see her sibling again, but she can't help but notice her sad smile. Even in her daydreams, Shiho is unable to see her sister with a truly bright smile, without hidden concern. Sachiko did tell her that for all her cheerful demeanour, Akemi had always seemed to be full of worries...

The dream dissipates. In between two coughs, Shiho manages to swallow a few gulps of water from the bottle the professor left her by the couch. She remains sat, exhausted, contemplating what little of Akemi's files she had managed to read before falling ill, instead of motivating herself to go get something to eat. The words of her thoughts turn into gibberish. She decides that she is no longer hungry.

Professor Agasa is absent. A golden opportunity for one of his inventions, a trip to the west that she encouraged him to accept. He hesitated a long time before going, seeing how his housemate was rapidly getting worse, but she insisted. After promising him to phone a friend if it got truly bad, and to keep him updated during his trip, he'd finally accepted, an unhappy pout on his face and a frown between his eyes. Shiho had just been relieved not to need to address his fretting every five minutes, but now that peace seemed a high price to pay without his solicitude.

Finally the call of mother nature forces her to leave the couch, and gives her the chance to find fresh tissues, a piece of bread to nibble at and some painkillers. For a chemist, she sure has the bad habit of always catching a cold in no time.

One feverish sleep later, and she awakes to the sounds of birds outside. She would have quite enjoyed the song, but her throat is on fire. One bottle of water later, and she finds her phone, remembering vaguely that she promised the professor to stay in touch. She starts tapping out a response to his last five messages. The handheld slips from her fingers. She sighs as she hears it interact with her leg. She has no wish to retype the message from the beginning. Luckily, the text has been preserved, and she manages to send it.

The rest of the day is split between nightmares and coughing. She really dislikes being ill.

When the visions of assassins and snide detectives at long last make way for a non-threatening dream, she welcomes it with pleasure, even if it turns out to be a bit more unusual than the norm, even considering her past.

It's Kaito Kuroba, the young man from the bus. He timidly pokes his head around the door frame. The curious and worried expression he wears makes her want to laugh, so she does. The joyful tones of her outburst are pleasant to hear, after the two last days of feeling miserable. Kaito Kuroba, Kudo's doppelganger who really doesn't resemble him in character. The young man had surprised her, when she'd been to return his notebook, with the good pleasure of his company, and, she will admit, the contents of said notebook.

"And now it seems Kaitou Kid comes to visit me in my dreams."

Kuroba's face freezes, he fixes with easy practice an amused smile on his face that is in every way false. She knows it well, it is the kind of fake smile she has used all her life... the fake smile that her sister had clearly mastered.

"Don't you worry..." She coughs, interrupting him with her words before he can talk. She sits up, her quilt forms a pile around her knees. "You secret will remain a secret."

"I... You..." It is rare to see Kaito Kuroba struggle so much with his words, at least that was the impression Shiho has of the young man. It doesn't stop her from appreciating the rare moment of embarrassment that so reminds her of a detective far too often full of himself. He finally finds his words, not without her noticing the worried arc of his brows and the colour on his cheeks. "Miss Miyano, you seem to have a very strong fever."

"Shiho." She corrects him with a weary gesture before stretching her arms out. Her muscles thus relaxed, she coughs a little, with less violence this time, and reaches for her water bottle beneath the couch. "Did you only come to visit to observe that I have a cold?"

The young man seems distracted, but ends up responding to her question, his lips taking on the form of the smirk instantly recognisable as that of Kid, the phantom thief.  
"When I receive a message addressed to another, with a grammar that really does not match the style of the person I know, it is natural for me to be concerned." With a leisurely gait, his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his jeans, he comes to sit on the armrest of the couch beside her. "At any rate it's a relief to see that it's just an immune system overload and not something more urgent."

"Hey!" She interjects as he grabs her bottle from her hands. The fact that it is empty doesn't help. She's thirsty.

"Hush, hush." Kuroba flips the bottle into the air. It twirls rapidly, before landing in the palm of his other hand, suddenly full of a chocolatey brown liquid. "I was kind enough to bring you a smoothie."

Her exhausted brain struggles to understand, but when he puts the bottle in her hand, her body reacts automatically. She removes the lid and drinks two, three gulps of the liquid before expressing her pleasure with a short purr.

It is a coffee flavoured smoothie, fresh, its viscous liquid soothes the pains in her throat as a magic balm would, and she already feels its nutrients perk her up if only from the smell awakening her nostrils.  
"Thank you very much."

"My pleasure." He smiles again, this time with the same honest and mischievous grin that so enchanted her during that rainy evening at the bus stop. He puts his arm around her shoulders, his cool hand helping her overheated skin to cool down. She leans her head against his thigh, humming gently. In between two notes, she takes a fresh sip. He seems happy to stay there, to keep her company, his free hand tapping along to the rhythm of her song on his thigh.

Recalling their encounter at the bus stop, and the notebook he'd lost in public transport afterwards, she turns her gaze to his. His eyes contain a great deal of tenderness, but also, unless she's misinterpreting, a dash of concern. If he is still worried about the contents of his notebook, she can at least reassure him. It's the least she can do.

"In future, take better care of the research notes for your heists. You won't always be fortunate enough to have a young lady return them to you in person." Shiho's sometimes teasing side stirs, giving her a mischievous smirk that seems to worry Kaito Kuroba just as much as her words. "Especially if she also has the option of sharing them with a certain detective who makes a habit of getting in your way."

"I must admit the thought did cross my mind." The young man gulps. Turning more towards him, Shiho presses herself against his thigh, her available arm resting on his knees, keeping him trapped. She can feel how suddenly he's become incredibly stiff. She takes pity on him. "Don't worry. No way am I showing him anything." A cough, she lies back down on the couch. Kaito Kuroba seems reassured, at least if the movement of his leg is anything to go by. Her eyes are closed. "I think I've had enough of detectives."

And gently, she falls back to sleep. She barely feels the soft caress on her hair. She doesn't hear the words he says as he leaves, but she'll recall the tender sound of his laughter. She smiles. For the first time in three days, she enjoys a sleep that is deep, curative and peaceful.

Sadly only a few hours later, her slumber is rudely interrupted by a detective. The latter, informed by text message by the Professor about the nonsensical state of his protégée from her correspondence full of nonsense, never thought to knock before coming through the basement door.

"Fuck! Miyano, you're stark naked!"

Startled awake, recognising the voice of the last person in the world she wanted to hear accuse her of nudity (and there is no doubt that it is Kudo and not Kuroba, no one calls her Miyano with such an intonation), she reacts without thanking. She wraps the quilt she'd pushed back in her sleep around her torso, grabs her bottle of water, and throws it with all her might towards the person who'd disturbed her. The sudden exercise causes a sudden coughing fit, and it is with great difficulty that she hears him, his voice muffled behind the door, tell her to make herself presentable while he makes her a coffee.

"Ack, Kudo. You are unbelievable." She is mortified. But she is reassured. Even though she is still coughing, and her fever has clearly caused her to ditch her pyjamas in her sleep, she feels a hundred times better. She must be in remission. With a sigh, she recovers the top of her pyjamas, pulls on the bottoms over her underwear, and stretches like a cat. She folds the quilt, places it beneath the sofa, before going to the door to retrieve her water bottle. She remembers her dream, in which the magician Kuroba had paid her a visit. She smiles.

He smile however disappears instantly. The plastic bottle she had thrown against the door behind which Kudo hid in his prudishness, it has burst. The liquid that sprayed out in heavy streams? It isn't water.

She had wondered what Kaito Kuroba would have done in Kudo's position, now she knows. His stunned stuttering, his ruddy cheeks, his sudden stiffness...

"Shit." She glares at the spilt coffee smoothie intensely. Of course. He actually did visit her, and of course, she had been so feverish, she hadn't even realised she faced him while topless. Worse still, she had pressed her bare breasts against his leg.

Worst of all, no matter how embarrassed she is by her mistake, she can't help but feel a small measure of joy. The calm with which Kaito Kuroba had taken her nudity in his stride, without allowing himself to be perturbed beyond measure, and the kindness with which he had replaced her empty bottle of water with a more appropriate drink for her condition...

Shiho regrets nothing, for once. She coughs a little, mops up the mess with some of the clean tissues she hasn't used, smiles and blushes.

* * *

 _To be continued..._


	4. Date

**Date.**

* * *

At long last the rainy weather draws to an end. Shiho Miyano is glad to finally put aside her anorak in favour of a beautiful red coat, its collar so soft and pockets warm. The leaves on the tries are turning autumnal in colour: vermilions, golds and browns. It is a season that she appreciates a lot, with its gentle breezes, its crunchy carpets, the smell of hearths set alight. It allows her to feel less inclined to complain about the reason she is outdoors, so late at night.

Kaitou Kid is in town... and naturally, Shinichi Kudo is joining in the fun.

Normally... Normally, she would have left him to his thief hunt. Normally, she wouldn't have cared, but now...

She sighs while glancing at her phone. Nine forty pm... In five minutes from now, he'll...

He just had to leave her a secret notice. She frowns. That heedless fool... In this regard, he really does remind her far too much of the stubborn detective she's accompanying.

"I'm surprised that you wanted to come along with me," the detective in question tells her. Shinichi Kudo has no coat, instead he keeps his hands deep in his pockets, his jacket buttoned shut.

"You know, it isn't strange for me to want to accompany my best friend on his adventures every now and then..." And for the first time since the final showdown with the men in black, she finds that the term best friend applied to Kudo is leaving her lips with surprising earnestness. This realisation embarrasses her a little, and she feels her cheeks blush. Seeing Shinichi's tender smile, she knows that he's noticed.

"Yeah, but I've never seen you volunteer for a case with Kid before." His smile turns mocking. She knows that it is neither a reproach or accusation. If only he knew... "I'm not complaining. You know..."

There's a pause. The policemen surrounding them are alert. The detective in charge barks out his orders like a guard dog. She remembers why she doesn't like these interventions. Shinichi's hand comes to land on Shiho's arm, a reassuring gesture.

"I'm glad to see that you found your happiness these last few weeks. You seemed so sad a couple of months back. I was worried."

She's left speechless. Kudo's hand slips away from her arm. He says something that is lost in the din made by the squad. He moves away, leaving her side to find his position. She feels herself float, lost in thought.

She is... happy? She...

Yes.  
Shiho realises that he's right. It's been a full three weeks since she last felt any anxiety, regrets or had any nightmares. It's been three weeks since she recovered from her cold, three weeks during which...

She recalls the numerous cuppas at the café around the corner, cordial luncheons at the university, sweet nothings exchanged by email on her mobile phone. She feels a tender warmth growing in her heart. Kaito... That magician had changed her life.

And of course, here she is now, forced to watch him risk his freedom for... what she doesn't know.  
Sorrow twists her brow... It's an altruistic sorrow she had never had the luxury of feeling before. Oh, she'd been worried for her sister for years, but... It was possible to worry for someone without having to feel guilt? Without there being any demons involved?

"Oh! It's you..." A young woman's voice pulls Shiho from her daydream. "Miss Miyano, am I right?"

She turns and is nearly startled. It's the young woman from the bus, who'd accompanied Kaito when she'd first met him. Aoko, wasn't it?

"You are... Aoko?" She asks, hesitant... How did she know her name?

Turmoil shoots through the square, policemen are running, their rapid stomping causing tremors underfoot, the crowd behind the police cordon cheers. The two women turn around to see a man dressed in white salute them from the front of a building. He stands in front of the third floor, the narrow ledge of a window his only support. His moon-coloured cape flies from his back like a flag.

"Kaitou Kid..." It is not admiration that comes from her lips, but a sardonic greeting. Even before she'd known his secret, she had always found the phantom thief ostentatious... Though she could never deny he had a certain class.

Beside her, she hears Aoko boo him, watching out the corner of her eye as she hoists a placard above her head. The words 'Kid, go home!' are petulantly painted on. Shiho's sorrow evaporates. If even Kaito's childhood friend actively disapproves of his midnight outings, he's only got himself to blame if he gets caught. She'll go visit him in prison, so she could mock him and reassure him. His crimes won't earn him the death penalty at least.

Shiho had nearly forgotten how ready she had been in the past to see herself judged and executed.

She observes the magician above him as he twirls about, narrowly evading the missile Kudo launches at him. The gem he covets, until recently held in the hands of a statue adorning the building's corner on the second floor, slips from his fingers. He curses, abandoning it to the hands of the police detective who seems stunned when the jewel is returned to him so promptly, but Shiho can see, despite the monocle and top hat obscuring his face, that the Kid is not really put out. She expects him to deploy his glider, but, as is becoming quite frequent, the young man surprises her. He disappears in a cloud of smoke to reappear tenfold, all around the square, leaping to the ground like a cat. Aoko, standing next to Shiho, lets out a wow of appreciation before covering her mouth. Shiho hides a small laugh.

The chaos that follows, policemen and fans all hurtling towards the Kid apparition nearest to them, leaves the square emptied, only Shiho and Aoko left, with the quiet necessary for conversation. The latter clears her throat and drops her placard.

"Sorry. I'm Aoko Nakamori. The police detective in charge is my dad." She finally introduces herself, offering Shiho a handshake she accepts with pleasure.

"That is a detail Kuroba forgot to mention..." She smiles, happy to see again the young woman whose youthfulness she envies. "He often tells me of your battles in high school. Did you really chase him with a mop in the middle of your maths class?"

"Oh, that..." She rolls her eyes. "He probably forgot to point out that as a teenager he was a right pervert, and that it started with him flipping up my skirt. Thankfully he's mellowed since. Did you know that he hates fish? Even cartoon ones printed on cotton?"

Shiho's eyebrows soar beneath her fringe. She replies, half-surprised, half-amused. "No, I didn't." At this rate, Kaito would be left with no secrets from her. "I already find it hard to picture him flipping up young women's skirts."

"I think he only did it to me..." Aoko frowns, trying to recall her turbulent teenage years. She shakes her head. "It doesn't really matter. I think he was just curious, and then it became a game when he saw my reaction."

"Truly?" Shiho smiles. It makes more sense. She's become well acquainted with the curious teasing nature of the young man.

"Anyway I am really glad he met you. Since he started university, he's been needing someone to keep him on his toes. Since I can only see him on weekends, he'd become impossible always seeking out new challenges." Aoko's beaming smile stuns Shiho.

"To... Keep him on his toes?!"

"You have no idea!" A small chuckle leaves the police detective's daughter's lips. "He's full of praise for you, you know? It's the first time we've spoken, but thanks to him it feels like I already know you."

Shiho remains mute. She feels butterflies in her stomach.

"Well, seeing how you are here and not among the mob of his fangirls, I imagine you're not a fan of Kaitou Kid either?" Now Aoko's is fixing her with a critical eye. Her gaze is disconcerting. Shiho can see now the resemblance between Aoko and her father, the energetic police detective who chases after Kid so assiduously. She's got a policeman's gaze.

"I find him... loud." He is careless, unaware of the risks he takes and clearly full of himself... but also charming. Shiho resigns herself to using the word that describes most clearly the trait of Kid's that she finds most extraordinary. He loves garnering peoples' attentions. It's an attribute that Shiho finds so alien to her own being. "I will admit, normally I would have just stayed at home... But I wanted to come along with my friend Kudo for a change. Kid has this knack for titillating his hunting instincts. It's always interesting to watch." Thinking of Kudo, she spies him through a window pane inside the building they face. He's grinning like a cat. He's on the trail. Shiho grins also.

"Ah, you're Kudo's friend? Excellent!" Shiho lets out a confused gasp when she feels Aoko leap up to wrap her arms around her neck. The embrace doesn't last long, thankfully, but... for once... Shiho is glad of the lack of boundaries of this stranger. She too feels like she knows her already. It might be the beginning of a new friendship, who knows?

"Yes, on that..." Shiho's sentence is interrupted by Aoko's, started at the same time.

"I should..." Seeing Shiho gesture for her to finish, Aoko goes on. "I should go see Dad. He's always ecstatic when Kudo helps him to foil Kid's plans. See you again soon, I hope?"

"I'm sure you will..." Shiho replies, nodding. She's glad for the meeting but is aware that she is running late. It is ten o'clock. She needs to head to the given meeting spot.

* * *

Shiho had her suspicions, but of course, he'd chosen the rooftop as the place for their meeting. She smiles, climbing the stairs, her hands gliding along the cold railing, the sky above starting to show the potential of a myriad of stars struggling to compete with Tokyo's numerous illuminations. She spies a dark silhouette on the roof. For a short instant, she thinks she sees Kaito, without his evening attire. The man turns around, cursing. She'd recognise that frustrated tone anywhere. It's Kudo.

He doesn't seem surprised to see her there.  
"He got away from you again?" She asks.  
"Obviously..." Shinichi Kudo returns his hands to his pockets, shrugging gently. He bows his head. Shiho manages to make out a smile in the weak glow of the rooftop's only lamp. "Next time. I can always catch him next time."

May there always be a next time, Shiho thinks. She bows her head with a smile too. "As ever, you at least managed to stop him getting the gem. Congratulations."

He rolls his eyes and chuckles. "No need for your sarcasm."

If he wants sarcasm... Well. The auburn haired young woman taps him on the arm, her sarcastic tone more pronounced. "Why don't you run home to your fiancée before the midnight bell tolls, Cinderella."

"Yes fairy godmother!" Kudo salutes her, the fold of his brow imitating the curve of his smile as he thinks of his beloved. He wastes no time going down the steps, reaching the doors to the lift without issue.

Shiho stays on the rooftop. She is glad to see Kudo cheerful, but...

The butterflies are back in her stomach. Her senses sharpen to the point of distraction. She hears the whistling of the wind, smells the ambiguous odour coming from the ventilation shafts, can taste on her lips the promise of a dry and cool night. All the while, she has but one thought in her mind...

Why?

She recalls his notice, hand delivered in an envelope labelled confidential in her name. It invited her to meet him here. It was a notice showing the Kid's monogram, but signed...

Such a compromising card! Why the hell had he left her that? How even? That darn...

"Kaito..." His given name escapes her lips, his surname forgotten in her confusion. He is there, before her. He's just landed, having just jumped down from atop a chimney. He's still wearing his white suit, radiant beneath the moon she glimpses behind him. Her heart is beating wildly.

He smiles, but it is a hesitant smile, not the one he wears for each nocturnal showing, nor that of the young student who likes to show her tricks for fun.

"Shiho." It's the first time he's ever called her that. Shiho's not going to complain, the two syllables pronounced by him sound like music. She loses the power of speech.

His steps echo as he covers the distance between that separates them. She holds her hands together, afraid, but she doesn't know why. She's scared she'll say something hurtful, that might shatter the magic that surrounds them now. It gives her goose bumps and shivers down the nape of her neck...

He stops two steps away from her. Shiho takes a deep breath. His scent... How has she never noticed his scent before?

"You know, simply because I know your secret is not reason enough to invite me to meet you on rooftops." It's stronger than her, the sarcasm pours out, one eyebrow rising promptly. It's a distraction for the storm raging in her heart.

She recognises these feelings. She doesn't fully understand, but she knows where they lead. She remembers the anecdote Aoko shared with her. She doesn't want to get hurt again.

A gently melodic sound slips out from Kid's lips. He laughs.  
"Yes, perhaps not..." His mirth evaporates, as he bows his head. She finds it hard to decipher the expression on his face.

He removes his hat. He takes off his monocle.

"..." She finds it odd. Suddenly before her, she has Kid with the face of Kaito. Even though she knows his secret, to see it visually confirmed in front of her, after having come to know the man beneath the mask, it is surreal.

He obviously takes her silence as an invitation to explain himself.  
"Few are those who even suspect my true identity, even fewer those who are certain of it..." His smirk is predatory as he glances at the city below them. "It's crazy how easy it can be to sow the seed of doubt in people's minds... But you know that well, after all."

Shiho's heart skips a beat.  
"I... You... How?"

"Don't worry. I'd be the last person to begrudge you your secrets..." He shakes his hands; his hat and monocle disappear in a magical flash. "What I mean to say, is that it is one thing to know my secret, but..."

He kneels before her, one hand on his heart. She can see his face clearly now, his dark blue eyes captivating her with a mixture of trepidation and vulnerability.

"The are only two people to whom I will admit it."

Curiosity wins out. She uncrosses her arms. "Who're they?"

"My assistant, who has known me since childhood and was also my predecessor's assistant..." His smile is tender as he thinks of this person. Shiho wants to meet them. Kaito is clearly very fond of them.

"And the other person?" Shiho's voice is shy. She has her suspicions, but she is struggling to fully comprehend them.

"It's you." Kid, no, Kaito's face lights up with a beaming smile. It is neither the mocking smile of the thief, nor the amused smile of the student she had hung out with this past few months. It is an honest smile, one she wants to see again and again.

"Oh well..." She takes a moment before returning to her question. "I am honoured to be part of such an exclusive club, but none of this tells me... Why?"

Please let there be no hidden motive. Don't let it simply be the search for a mole at Kudo's side to make his life easier. Don't allow it to be the pursuit of an accomplice to make him soporifics and other gasses.

He stands in a fluid motion, his cape whipping in the breeze, a dramatic sound as he removes his glove to offer her a rose that showed up from nowhere.

"Because I love you, Shiho Miyano..." There's a smidge of the mask she has learnt to recognise, his poker face, as he'd described it to her once, but she has absolutely no doubt about the earnestness of the sentiment expressed. His mask is an echo of hers that falls apart at his words, that of one who fears the other's answer, who seeks to protect the heart of the one unveiling their feelings. She takes the rose, allowing him to continue, timidly... "And... And if you have it in your heart, knowing both my faces, what I am capable of, I..."

He takes her free hand with his still gloved one, kissing the back of it chastely.  
"If you would allow it, I would like us to go out together."

She can't help but smile, relief and exaltation filling her. That said, she isn't going to make his life easy...  
"You say all that," she replies, "but you offer me a grey rose?"

He huffs, sending a couple of strands of his fringe flying.  
"Red roses, I hand out by the dozen to young ladies in need of a smile. No, a red rose doesn't suit you. For you... a rare and impossible rose, a rose that reflects the mystery and beauty that you exude... A silver rose."

She blushes, realising the nature of the compliment proffered, still unable to answer.

"Will I be granted the right to a verdict, oh judge of my heart?" The roll of the eyes, the slightly insolent and mischievous smile. There was the Kaito she knew. She takes a deep breath.

"Kiss me then, thief of hearts. The answer is yes."

Shiho's reply surprises the young woman, but, for once, she has no regrets. She doesn't regret it when the young man before her takes her in his arms with a fire that makes her melt. His arms are tender in their embrace and his lips shy as they find hers. It is magic.

The grey rose slips from her fingers, but she will be sure to retrieve it later.

* * *

 _To be continued...?_

 _Author/Translator's note :  
Many thanks Ladyshadow26, Rein, Lily, Lila, Guest, Angel-chan234, Sunset1215 and Layla MT for your feedback. Knowing this brought you enjoyment certainly motivated me to keep translating this at such a quick pace (for me). Thanks to the CoAi Central Discord for reminding me of this fic and prompting me to start translating it in the first place.  
I do hope to continue this at some point in the future, but will be waiting for the right idea to show. I apologise in advance for the wait.  
Thanks for reading!  
_


End file.
